Being connected to the earth and supporting health—of people and the planet—have been foundational to Little Creek Dressing since its Creator and Owner, Donna Denison, launched the company in 1995 from the organic farm she and her husband, Dale, started in West Kelowna.
“We cleared the forest and built the farm in 1984—it was my great aunt and uncle’s land that they bought in 1947, which my dad then bought it in 1969 and subdivided among me and my siblings,” explains Donna.
In the early years, Dale farmed organic vegetables while Donna worked off the farm, all the while raising their twin girls and Donna’s son, Jubi. In the mid-90s, Donna started searching for a path that would allow her to stay home with her young daughters. At the time, the Department of Agriculture was encouraging farmers to create value-added products—this sparked the idea that would fuel Donna’s entrepreneurial journey and ongoing legacy.
“We grew all the garlic, basil, and raspberries, and I made the vinegar, for this homemade dressing that was great on Dale’s salad greens,” says Donna, adding that Dale was the first organic farmer to grow salad greens in the Okanagan. It was this delicious, handcrafted product that Donna decided to bottle and launch as Little Creek Dressing.
When a fire destroyed the farm’s original kitchen, Donna’s family banded together to get production back up and running. The company’s growth, thanks in no small part to support from local farmers, neighbours, and community members, allowed Little Creek Dressing to open its Kelowna production facility, which is HACCP verified, in 2014, with Jubi carrying on the family legacy when he became the company’s Executive Director in 2016.
Little Creek Dressing achieved its organic certification a couple of years later; today, it remains the only dressing produced in Western Canada to be certified. The company sources its ingredients from all over the world, ensuring they have the volume of product that meets the strict organic requirements. Six flavours of the dressing, including Okanagan’s Original, are now sold in over 1,000 stores across Canada and supplied as 4L jugs to delis, cafés, and retirement homes to use as part of their menus.
Donna is openly grateful for the support she has received over the years, both within the Okanagan and beyond, which she credits for much of the company’s early and ongoing success. This support has come in a variety of forms, including from local chefs like Rod Butters and store owners like Peter Boyd of Peter’s Your Independent Grocer who have been champions of Little Creek Dressing. Valuable partnerships with local, independent farms, markets and grocers, including Don-O-Ray Farms, Paynter’s Fruit Market, Lakeview Market, and Urban Fare, have allowed the company to flourish within its home community.
The Central Okanagan Economic Development Commission’s (COEDC) team, including its Agricultural Program Specialist, Myrna Stark Leader, has recently become a valuable resource for the company, having featured Little Creek Dressing at the Grocer & Speciality Food West Trade Show 2026. Support through the Investment Agricultural Foundation of BC and the Buy BC program have also helped the company thrive.
“Kelowna is a central hub for shipping—you can go to Vancouver, Calgary, or up north. We’re in a pretty good location and intersect a lot of different highways, so shipping and distribution is really easy.” – General Manager, Deb Helbig.
Over the years, Little Creek’s team has focused primarily on improving its equipment and processes, incorporating a variety of automation to make things easier and to support its growing scale of production. Going forward, the focus will be on expanding advertising and marketing, pursuing further growth in Eastern Canada, growing the company’s online shop, and looking into exporting to the US.
On the heels of celebrating its 30th anniversary in 2025, Little Creek Dressing remains committed to crafting its organic, vegan dressing, lovingly referred to as ‘art in a bottle’ by a loyal customer, which perfectly encapsulates the way in which Donna and her team have been transforming ingredients into something delicious and beautiful, ever since the first bottle.
“It started with hard work and an old-fashioned approach to building a business from scratch. There was a lot of support [for Little Creek Dressing]. People really liked the product and really liked Donna—they buy the dressing because they love her!” – General Manager, Deb Helbig.
